Dylan Roberts

Subject in Context – VIS5025

L5 Visual Communication
Brief 2a: River Foyle
The Brief
For the second brief of the first term we were asked to
pick between two briefs. The first was this brief around
the subject of suicide prevention. The second brief was
about road safety and drink driving prevention. I decided
to go with this brief over the other as I have already seen
many effective and creative campaigns to road safety,
so I thought it would be more of a challenge to pick an
area that hasn’t yet had much design attention. After
recieving the brief I did some initial research around
whats already out there in terms of suicide prevention
campaigns and did not see anything that I thought was
effective, it’s a tough issue to discuss which is why it
will likely be quite a challenge to design a campaign for.
BA (Hons) Visual Communication | L5 Graphic Communication 2016
L5 Subject in Context
Retail, Rivers and Roads: Graphics in Context Project Brief
Subject Area Graphic Communication
Module Title/Code Subject in Context – VIS5025
Credits 30 Credits
Level & Term Level 5, Semester 1
Colette.jeffrey@bcu.ac.uk, jane.anderson@bcu.ac.uk; james.brierley@bcu.ac.uk;
Tutor Contact
Geraldine.marshall@bcu.ac.uk, chris.morris@bcu.ac.uk
Details
BRIEF 1: NIKE, Shop window with interactive display.
BRIEF 2a: Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
BRIEF 2b: Drink Driving campaign
Learning 1. Communicate ideas, meaning and/or information in appropriate
Outcomes visual language to defined audiences. (Research & Analysis skills)
2. Identify and implement professional methods in response to a live
project. (Creative thinking & communication skills)
3. Select, test and make appropriate use of materials, techniques
and processes. (Technical skills & production skills)
4. Identify and engage with a range of opportunities to develop an
individual professional profile. (Enterprise & Collaboration skills)
This Module will encourage you to:
Module
§ Expand your knowledge and understanding of graphic design in
Description different contexts and different areas of graphic design practice.
§ Develop & refine your creative thinking skills.
§ Find the most appropriate techniques to communicate your
ideas.
§ Develop your professional skills and develop links with industry.
You will submit research, ideas and final outcomes for Brief 1 and will
also submit research, ideas and final outcomes for either Live Brief 2a
or Brief 2b.
3
LIVE BRIEF 2a: River Foyle suicide prevention
This is a live brief being launched by an ex-BCU award winning student, Lizzie Raby
who will come in and explain the brief in more detail on 6th October. The winning
student(s) will work with Helen Hamlyn Centre to develop their ideas further.
Brief introduction
Suicide prevention campaigns usually focus on empowering the individual at risk to
get help. This can be difficult as many individuals struggle to accept they either needs
help or that they want to be ‘saved’. However, research suggests that people often
send out invitations or signs that feeling suicidal. Speaking with those who have made
attempts to end their life they often say they wanted someone to talk to them about
it. Many say they felt relieved if someone did – no research suggests that asking
someone about suicide has ever made someone who is not suicidal think about
ending their life. This points to the need for a campaign to help people particularly in
at risk groups to ask people and then know where to signpost them for further
support. The aim of this brief is to develop a wider media campaign focusing on at-
risk groups.
Win work experience at Helen Hamlyn Centre
Lizzie will review the design ideas, and the winner will work with designers at the
Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design to see the project developed further.
Project Background
‘Our Future Foyle’ is a live project based in Derry/Londonderry Northern Ireland. It
centres on the banks and bridges of the River Foyle that runs through the city.
www.futurefoyle.org We will supply the Our Future Foyle and PHA branding which
should be displayed on the final concept.
Tone of voice
Compassionate, reassuring and fresh.
Target Audience
You will research the groups that may be at-risk of suicide and select a group that you
consider to be of interest.
Considerations
Identify the places where your target audience may come into contact with your
concept – they might be varied. These touch points might be around a city, at work, at
university or at home. Consider different touch points, potentially through mapping.
Brief 2a outcomes
Create visuals to explain your proposed media campaign, focusing on at-risk groups,
to prevent suicide and get people talking about it. Your concepts should work across
at least two touch points – these could be social media, printed media, an installation,
an app – think about both print and digital.
Further Information
www.futurefoyle.org
Elizabeth.raby@network.rca.ac.uk
5
Initial Thoughts
Knowing where to start for this brief was a challenge as it is a difficult subject I have not had
much experience with this subject. I began by making some initial thoughts and ideas al-
though I hthought it would be best to fully research and get immersed in the subject of suicide
so that I fully understand everything I need to know before I begin designing.
Initial Thoughts: Launch Presentation
The launch presentation gave me a much more thoughrough view of the brief and how I should go about solving the
problem. I made a few notes on the presentation below.
What is it?
This mission for this brief is to produce a media
campaign that has two touchpoints. I am lean-
ing more towards the idea of a set of posters
and online campaign however the audience that
I decide to target will have a large effect on what
the most effective form of campaigning will be.
Where is it?
The campaign is taking place near the River
Foyle area in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
The campaign should prevent people from
around that area and nearby from comitting su-
icide. I could keep the campaign very local and
just focus on the Londonderry area or make it
broad and focus on the whole of Ireland.
Other parts of the campaign
Pictured here is a part of the Future Foyle cam-
paign which is called Foyle Reeds. This concept
is a physical barrier to prevent suicides. One
thought is that the campaign I design should
link to the existing elements already being im-
plemented and to take inspiration from whats
already there.
How to tackle?
The main criteria I will have to fulfill when pro-
ducing my campaign is making people aware of
suicide. This means either the person thinking
about it or someone who knows them. Anoth-
er idea is a campaign that encourages footfall
in the area. E.g attaching locks to the bridge in
support.
Who is the audience?
The presentation made the point that it might
be an idea to focus on the person that knows
someone who could be contemplating suicide.
I like this idea as I think it is more possible to en-
courage a friend or family member to talk about
suicide to the person they suspect is thining
about it. It will also be a challenge to see how I
can encourage them in a visual way.
Other notes
One slide in the presentation that caught my at-
tention was the fact that there is no evidence
of people asking about suicide will increase the
chance that they will commit suicide. This is
something I could take into account and active-
ly encourage people to talk about suicide in the
campaign.
Existing Campaigns
Before getting straight into designing the brief I wanted to have a look to see what was already

Common traits
out there in terms of suicide prevention campaigns. I analysed how they were designed and made
some thoughts on what I could do to improve the design of them to appeal to more people.

Typically dark or black and white

Most of the posters I have seen use a dark or black and white col-
our palette.

Targets the individual

The campaigns I have seen target only the individual thinking about
suicide and not the people close to them that could encourage
them to do something

Direct and hard-hitting

The campaigns mostly contain a leading slogan which is impactful
and the first thing you notice on the poster, I will analyse further if
this is an effective design choice.

How can they

be improved?
More Engaging
The existing posters aren’t instantly engaging. They contain bold
headlines that make you think but the initial look of them does not
vie for your attention, this could possibly be improved through the
use of colour and imagery.

Target more than the individual

Target the audience that is commonly overlooked- the people that
are close to those thinking about suicide. The campaign should en-
courage them to speak to their friends and family about the issue.

Carry forward the campaign

The campaign should not just be a set of posters. The poster
should be the start of something that encourages a person to do
almost as a daily routine, e.g daily instagram posts in support of
the campaign. How this is done will be the challenge.
 Audience: Statistics
I conducted some further research. I analysed who was the most at risk of suicide in the UK
and Northern Ireland, this is to help me find who would be the most effective audience type to
target. The research I found backed up the choice of my target audience. The research below
was sourced from the Samaritans Suicide Report for 2016.

UK: Males Northern Ireland: Males Females

• The highest suicide rate in the UK in
2014 was for men aged 45-49 at 26.5 per
100,000.
• In the UK the age group with the highest
suicide rate per 100,000 for all persons
and males is 45-49 years, and for females
is 50-54 years.
• Men remain more than three times more
likely to take their own lives than women
across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
• In Northern Ireland, the age group with the highest
suicide rate per 100,000 for all persons and males
is 30-34 years; and for females is 35-39 and 45-49
years.
• In Northern Ireland the male suicide rate in 2014
is more than double what it was thirty years ago
in 1984. Although, there has been a decrease of
10.2% between 2013 and 2014 and male suicide
is at its lowest rate in Northern Ireland since 2007.
• Female suicide rates increased in the UK
(by 8.3%), England (by 14%), Scotland (by
7.8%) and Republic of Ireland (by 14.7%)
between 2013 and 2014.
• Northern Ireland In 2014, the female suicide
rate is higher than it was thirty years ago in
1984. Although, there has been a decrease
of 17.7% between 2013 and 2014 and fe-
male suicide is at its lowest rate in Northern
Ireland since 2009.
Audience: Primary & Secondary
One of the points I have made in the previous slides was that I need to consider not only the
person thinking about suicide but the people that are close to them. This category of peopel
will be my primary audience for this brief as I believe it will be more effective to target this set
of people as there is more people close to people thinking of suicide than there are of people
actually thinking of suicide.

Primary: Age 35-50 Wives Secondary: Family & Friends

Why? Why?
After the findings presented in the presentation and some Secondly I am going to target the other family and friends that
initial research I made some thoughts and decided that are close to someone they suspect are thinking about suicide.
the most effective audience to target is not the victims This is a broad range of audiences consisting of a variety of
themselves, but the people closest to them. age ranges and both genders. It will be difficult to engage the
entirety of this audience so first I will orientate the poster to
I found that the highest suicide rate was between men engage the wives, then see what elements I could include to
aged 45 and 49, most of the men of this age will likely make the campaign engaging for a wider audience. Examples
have a spouse or a partner. These are the people I will pri- of this audience can be:
marily target in my campaign to encourage them to speak
to their partners about the issue and ultimately get help. • Age 30-35 Husbands who suspect their spouse is
An example of this would be:
thinking of suicide
• Age 70-90 Grandparents who suspect their grandchild
• Age 40-50 Wife who suspects her husband is is thinking of suicide
thinking of suicide • Age 50-70 Parents who suspect their son or daughter
is thinking of suicide
• The campaign should encourage her to speak out • Age 25-30 Friends who suspect their friend is thinking
and discuss the issue with her husband to of suicide
prevent it getting to that stage.
As stated above this is a very broad audience range, however if
I could make a campaign that was versatile and changeable to
apply to the different audiences, such as the Samaritans cam-
paign, this would be the ideal outcome.
Audience: Primary Audience Research
Here I have created a more in-depth analysis of my audience: Aged 35-50 wives of men thinking about suicide.
Source: (Stylus Report, Neilsen Social Media Report)
Who are they?
Generation X Women
I will primarily be targetting women aged 35-50, this is within the Generation-X
category of people. In the UK, Gen X (35- to 54-year-olds) are rapidly evolving, ac-
cording to Bauer Media research. Members of this vibrant and active demograph-
ic – branded Luminaries – are tech-savvy, open to new experiences and seek to
engage with bold and positive brand messages.
Main Characteristics
• Hidden Influencers: By focusing on Gen X, brands will effectively target boom-
ers (aged 52 to 70) and millennials (aged 22 to 35), too – given this cohort’s
ability to influence the other two groups. In the US, 47% of Gen X are financially
responsible for either a parent or a child, and one in seven looks after both (Pew,
2013).
• The females are powerful: “The 35- to 55-year-old woman is one of the most
powerful consumer groups. In the UK, eight million women fall into this cate-
gory... and women drive an estimated 70-80% of spending globally.” Translate
Media, 2016
• Nostalgia Hit: US Gen Xers watch more than 150 hours of television per month,
compared with 93 hours of viewing time for 18- to 24-year-olds (eMarketer,
2015). Savvy brands are connecting with Gen X by tapping into their sense of
nostalgia, as Netflix aims to do with its most recent programming.
• Daily Tech: Technology has altered Gen X’s daily schedules. Over a third (36%)
are in bed by 10pm on a weekday, thanks to their desire to engage with tech-
nology – whether that’s streaming entertainment content, online shopping or
social media.
• Under Pressure: Gen X were late to raise children, but are now fully engaged.
They now find themselves squeezed between the demands of their young chil-
dren and the need to care for their ageing parents.
Gen-X and Social Media
Gen X consumers (aged 35 to 49) spend more time on social
media than Millennials, according to a recent Nielsen report.
The findings were based on data from 9,000 smartphone and
1,300 tablet users from across the US between July and Sep-
tember 2016.
• Gen X consumers spend nearly seven hours per week on
social media, versus millennials, who spend just over six.
While Gen X doesn’t have a particularly wide lead on so-
cial media use, they are active on networks Facebook and
Pinterest.
• Facebook Reigns: Across all age groups, Facebook is the
most popular social network for mobile, with about 178.2
million unique users in September 2016. This is followed
by Instagram, with 91.5 million users, then Twitter (82.2
million) and Pinterest (69.6 million).
How does this help the brief?
• Facebook Campaigns: Since Gen-X are active Facebook
users I can carry through the campaign on this platform.
• Consider Nostalgia: Is there a place to tie in elements of
Nostalgia into the campaign?
• Focus on Gen-X and this will influence other audiences:
the research stated that they influence both boomers and
millennials.
Audience: Profiling
Here I have created a variety of audience profiles for the different types of audiences I am going to
target. Looking back at these will help me distinguish who I am designing for and constantly asking if
the campaign would appeal to them.

Adeline Jones Lorraine Hughes Sarah Smith Michael Clayton

Gender Gender Gender Gender
Female Female Female Male

Age Age Age Age

33 42 50 44

Occupation Occupation Occupation Occupation

Teacher Dentist Accountant Architect

Family Family Family Family

3, Husband and Son 2, Husband 4, Husband, son and daughter 4, Wife and two daughters

Interests Interests Interests Interests

Reading, Jogging, Dog walking Art, Gardening, Rowing, Yoga Knitting, Reading, Cooking Gym, Hiking, Cycling

Adeline’s partner has not been the
same ever since he was let go of his
previous job. She feels distant from
him and wants to reach out.
Lorraine is suspecting that her hus-
band is feeling depressed, he is not
being sociable with their friends and
wants to know when she should
speak to him.
Sarah’s relationship with her hus-
band is not what it once was. She
wants the best for her children and
wants her husband to have more of
a relationship with them.
Michaels friend has been staying at
his house for a while. His friend has
recently been let go of his job and
his wife has left him. Michael wants
to help his friend out but doesn’t
know where to start.
Problem to Solve
After generating lots of thoughts and ideas for the brief I decided to
create a short sentence which explains the problem I need to solve.
This is what I will base my further research and final response on.

“Design a campaign primarily targetting the

wives that are close to someone they suspect
are thinking of suicide. Engage them through a
selection of posters and create relevant and
effective touchpoints that carry forward
the campaign to encourage them
to talk about the issue.”
Considerations: Where the campaign should be situated
After figuring out who the main audience I want to target is I thought about where the most effective
places would be to target this audience. Below are the findings that I found.

Areas of Commute Online: Facebook Campaigns

• Bus Stops Based on my previous research I found that a lot of Gen-X women are
• Train Journeys active on social media. However their main source of social media is
• Billboards facebook. It would be most effective for my campaign to have an on-
line presence on this platform to spread the message on a wider scale.
A lot of the Gen-X women today are still working. Creating campaign I could do this by designing campaign profile frames for people to use
touchpoints along their journey would be most effective. I will have to and creating a campaign page which lists all information about the
design something that stands out from the crowd and stops them for campaign, from sponsored walks to advice pages.
a second on their journey.

Brand Collaborations
Another idea I had to boost the campaigns appearance is collabo-
rating with local and popular brands. As I am targetting women the
most effective collaborations could be to do with Jewellery brands,
perfume brands or fashion brands. I could also make the campaign
more widespread for other audiences and design some collaborations
with events or big brands.
Idea Development: Initial Sketches
I began sketching down my initial thoughts for the brief. I wanted the campaign to de-stigmatise suicide and make
people feel more comfortable asking and talking about the topic. I wanted to mainly consider the people close to
the person thinking of suicide and what would encourage them to get their friend/family/partner to get help.
Research: Wellcome Collection: Can graphic design save lives?
The second trip I went on was to an exhibition called ‘Can graphic design save lives?’ at the Wellcome Collection in London. This trip was
extremely helpful for this brief as it was all about how graphic design has been used to help save lives. I found some examples such as the
Samaritans campaign taht were directly related to the brief. There were many posters that I found inspiration from both design-wise and for
their impact that engages people to pay attention to the campaign. One campaign that I did find interesting was the poster set encouraging
people to stop smoking, the design was very simple as it only used three colours and silhouette illustrations however the text was very striking.
I also found a lot of pieces of art in the other exhibitions in the collection that linked flowers to death.
Research: Wellcome Collection: Can graphic design save lives?
The second trip I went on was to an exhibition called ‘Can graphic design save lives?’ at the Wellcome Collection in London. This trip was
extremely helpful for this brief as it was all about how graphic design has been used to help save lives. I found some examples such as the
Samaritans campaign taht were directly related to the brief. There were many posters that I found inspiration from both design-wise and for
their impact that engages people to pay attention to the campaign. One campaign that I did find interesting was the poster set encouraging
people to stop smoking, the design was very simple as it only used three colours and silhouette illustrations however the text was very striking.
I also found a lot of pieces of art in the other exhibitions in the collection that linked flowers to death.
Idea Development: Linking flowers into the campaign
During the start of the brief I was walking and found a bouquet of condolence flowers on the side of the road. Although flowers
are used in both accidental and intentional cases of death, I thought it would be a softer way of presenting suicide. Using flowers
in the campaign would also bring a touch of colour to the work, this is something I wanted to add since a lot of the existing post-
ers on suicide prevention are dull and less appealing. If I could use the colour in the pster to initially engage the audience then
have an impactful slogan that makes people consider whats said that would be ideal for my campaign.

Why Flowers? Initial Sketches

I feel there is a connection between flowers and death. I think I can
bring in elements of flowers or a bouquet of flowers to suggest the
topic of suicide, I am not sure how I will do this yet but I think there
is a link there that will make for a great campaign frontpiece. I also
think it could go well with the audience I’m targetting of 35-55 year
old women who may tend to go out and get flowers.
Idea Development: Developing Sketches
I developed my ideas so that I had a rough idea of what some of the posters could involve. I wanted the final outcome to involve
photography of flowers and illustration to give a more human feel. I liked the idea of someone falling trying to cling on for help. I
also played with the idea of Bouquets of flowers and how they could represent death.
Research: Winterbourne Garden
I went on a trip to Winterbourne Garden and Letterpress. I wasn’t sure initially how this would relate to
the brief but after having the idea to orientate the campaign around flowers I found that it would link
perfectly, not only for this brief but I also found inspiration in the organic forms for the retail brief. The
photographs I have taken could be used throughout the campaign.
Photography
I knew I wanted elements of Photography to be involved in the campaign, so I went out and took as many
photographs of flowers as I could. At this stage I wasn’t exactly sure how I would use flower photographs
in the campaign but I had a general idea of how they could be incorporated.
Developing Technical Skills: Illustration
I also wanted elements of illustration to be incorporated into the campaign. I wanted to keep the illustrations rough
to give the campaign a more down to earth and personal tone. I began by experimenting with illustration and colour.
I had never really tried out illustration before this brief so this really improved by abilities.
Inspiration: Patrick Caulfield
I admire Patrick Caulfields simple linework and simple use of block colour. I especially
like the work where he uses rays of light in the space, it is a subtle change of colour that
changes the piece and gives it more depth whilst staying simple and 2D.
Inspiration: Jan van Huysum
After receiving feedback from my ideas and discussing my concept of linking flowers into the
campaign, I was shown this artist. Jan van Huysum was a Dutch painter, his work is mainly fo-
cused on the subject of flowers. In the work Huysum presents a painting of a beautiful array of
flowers but upon closer inspection you find that the flowers are wiltering away and dying.
Inspiration: Pop Art
Since I want to make the poster engaging and make the poster appeal to primarily women. I believe the
posters should take a different approach than whats already out there. I want to make the poster vibrant and
eye catching and to subvery it with an impactful slogan. Here I have observed the Pop art movement that
emerged in the 1950’s. During its time the style flourished, Richard Hamilton listed the characteristics of Pop
art as “Popular (designed for a mass audience), Transient (short-term solution), Low cost, Mass produced,
Young (aimed at youth), Witty, Sexy, Gimmicky, Glamorous, Big business”
Inspiration: Collage
A style I was thinking about implementing into the campaign was collage. Here I have displayed some work from two artists I have previously
come across, Beth Hoeckel (left) and Adam Hale (right). I thought about Hoeckels work for it’s vibrant use of colour and more eccentric use
of collage using photographs whereas Hale’s work is more simple and considered. I think a balance of these two styles could fit in well in the
campaign if used right. My next steps will be to experiment with collage to see if it will fit in with the overall ‘feel’ of the campaign.
Inspiration: Abigail Reynolds
Abigail Reynolds is a British collage artist and filmmaker, the work I have selected is photography that has
been cut out and folded to create an enhanced, unique piece which explores architectural landmarks, and
obscure landscapes typically cut and folded into three dimensional geometric patterns. Reynolds work
brings a great sense of eye-catching form and makes the viewer entrigued to explore what is going on be-
neath the patterns. When I first saw her work I was surprised at how engaging the pieces are from a concept
as simple as folding a piece of paper.
Inspiration: Carolle Benitah
French photographer Carolle Benitah has altered her family photo albums to explore the memories of her
childhood, and as a way to help her understand her current identity. I have been inspired by Benitahs work
throughout this brief through her way of conveying emotion visually in a very effective way through simple
means of cutting paper and using string. The viewer easily gets a sense of what she was feeling during the
times the photgraph was taken, this is something I want to achieve in my final outcomes.
Inspiration: Erwin Blumenfeld
Erwin Blumenfield is regarded as one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century. He
was an experimentor and innovator of photography and design. His use of colour is vivid yet subtle, each
piece has a balance that works. Alexey Brodovitch, art director of Harper’s Bazaar, once said that he
considered Blumenfeld “the master of color, the one photographer who dared freely experiment in a new
way”. Like Carolle Benitah I get a sense of more than justthe photograph itself but a deeper meaning that
conveys a sense of ‘feeling’ and not just focused solely on the fashion, but the person behind it.
Campaign Ideas: Branding
After I had a general idea for the campaign to orientate it around flowers and target wom-
en aged 35-55 I began thinking of some ideas for how the campaign could be branded. I
wanted the branding to include an indication of helping people in the name and logo whilst
bringing in elements of flowers.
Final: Campaign Logo
This is the final logo I designed to brand the campaign with. I am happy with how it turned out. It is
a simple flower icon whilst also being a hashtag. This indicates both elements of being a campaign
and incorporating the idea of involving flowers in the campaign.
Final: Campaign Logo
I decided to go with a bold and serious typeface to go alongside the campaign. The typeface is
called Axis. I think it compliments the logo well and is very legible and easy to read which is what I
was looking for.

lets
flourish
Final: Campaign Logo

lets
flourish
RAISING AWARENESS FOR
SUICIDE PREVENTION
Final: Campaign Logo

FLOURISHING
FOYLE
Final: Campaign Logo

lets
flourish
RAISING AWARENESS FOR
SUICIDE PREVENTION
Campaign Ideas: Look and Feel
This is something I created to establish the look and feel of the campaign. I wanted to incorporate the
photographs of the flowers that I had previously taken but I also wanted to include elements of rough
illustration. I am happy with how the black line illustration style and flower photos work together. It gives
the look and feel a more earthy and personal tone.
Developing Campaign Ideas: Posters
Once I established a general look and feel for the campaign I began to think about what the campaign posters
would look like. These posters would be placed on areas of commute such as train stations and bus stops. The
posters would need to grab the attention of a 35-55 year old woman on her commute to work. For my first poster
idea I wanted to incorporate the illustrations I had previously made. I highlighted my main ideas in blue.
Campaign Ideas: Final Poster Concepts
These are the final sketched mockups for the set of posters I will design for the campaign. I am happy with
the general look of each of them. They all incorporate the use of flowers to fit with the campaign and have
an eye-catching design.

For this poster I will use my existing illustrations of flower Bouquets that This poster will include the photographs of flowers I had taken previously. This poster will have a similar look to the other one however the subject
I shown previously. This poster will be in black and white. The subject that is falling will be made as a silhouette or black and white will be looking away from the camera and as a silhouette.
photograph.
Developing the Final Concepts
Below shows the process of how I developed the posters into a more refined concept.
1. Type Layout
I began each poster by laying out
the text. I already set out some
type guidelines for the campaign
which were:
All titles and important text should
be in Axis Bold and all other text
should be in Quinoa Regular.
3. Inserting Illustrations
I then scanned in the illustra-
tions that I had hand-drawn and
placed them around the flower
photographs. I think this gave the
posters a more personal feel.
2. Inserting Flower Photos
After the text layout I inserted the
images I had taken of flowers. Be-
fore inserting them into the docu-
ment I cut each of the flowers out in
photoshop using the pen tool.
4. Placing the subject
Finally I placed in the subject. I
wanted to take my own imagery for
this subject however I did not have
the time or equipment. I have refer-
enced all imagery used at the end
of this document.
Final: Posters
This is the first set of posters I designed. I am very happy with how
they came out. I think the design goes with all the criteria I set myself;
to attract 35 - 55 year old women, take advantage of flowers in an
effective way and create something thats more engaging and less dull
than whats already out there in terms of suicide prevention posters.
Final: Posters
Final: Posters
Final: Posters
Final: Posters
Final: Posters
Final: Posters
Final: Posters
Final: Posters
Final: Illustrated Poster
When designing this poster I went back to the illustrations I made at the start of the project. I took advantage of
these and made a poster that represents the number of suicides in the area using flower bouquets rather than just
numbers. I wanted to keep this poster black and white for variety as all the other posters were fairly vibrant.
Final: Illustrated Poster
Final: Facebook Campaign
Based on my research I found that the most effective place for the campaign to attract my target audi-
ence of older women was on the social media platform Facebook. I decided to design some mockups of
what the campaigns online presence would look like along with some profile frames so people can easily
spread the message of the campaign.
Final: Facebook Campaign
Final: Facebook Profile Frames
Final: Facebook Profile Frames
Final: Brand Collaboration
I finally decided to design a mockup of a brand collaboration with the campaign. I wanted to keep this collaboration general
to appeal to a wider audience. I saw a link between the River Foyle and water which lead me to the Irish water company
Ballygowan. This would give the campaign a more broader reach and spread the message to more people than just women.
Final: Brand Collaboration
Case Study: Phill Rees, Design director at FITCH
Phill Rees is a 2D designer who has worked for clients such as Coca-Co-
la, Land Rover, Jaguar and many more world renowned brands. He is
currently the design director of Fitch in New York. Fitch is a world leading
retail and brand consultancy who design for the biggest brands, from Lego
to Adidas to McLaren, they’ve designed it all in groundbreaking ways.
Rees initially joined Fitch in 2006, 2 years after receiving his degree in
Graphic Design at Swansea Metropolitan University. I had the opportunity
to ask him a few questions about his career in design and how he goes
about working in the industry, as well as some advice he’d offer to fellow
designers starting out.
DR: After university, how did your career in design begin? Is there
one memorable moment that kick started your career?
PR: After graduating I spent some time back in Ammanford trying to find
design work pretty much anywhere in the UK but after sending my Portfo-
lio to a small startup in Swansea I was offered a 3 Month Internship there
so I jumped at the chance. After the 3 Months, there the owner put me in
touch with FITCH where he worked previously. I was offered an internship
there and then after 2 months of internships I was offered a full-time po-
sition at FITCH. So, I’d say the internship at FITCH was my big break for
sure however the contacts you make along the way are super important.   brand identity for Imagination?)
During the start of Rees’ career at Fitch, from 2006 till 2010 he worked
as a designer for clients such as Vodafone, 2012 olympics, HSBC and
Morrisons.
DR: How did you find the transition from designing at University to
designing for these well renowned brands? Was there a lot of pres-
sure or was it not as hard as you expected?
PR: I never felt work pressure when I started because I really loved what
I was doing, I would absorb as much information as I could but as you
progress the pressure gets more intense for sure. The work you get as an
Intern or a Junior is generally much more of a support role so you tend to
get fed smaller projects at a decent pace.   members and also, I had a recruiter who looked out for me a lot and al-
DR: Did you find working in such a large studio change the way you
designed and the way you tackled projects, if so how?
PR: It is always a learning curve for sure, I think the biggest change is
designing with a much more strategic lens on how you think and design.
I felt like I learnt how to be a designer in my first few years of Industry by
learning how important Design Strategy is.  University just gives you the
grounding where I’m a big believer in learning on the job no matter what
the task.
DR: How did Fitch respond to you starting out in the studio? Was
there a lot of pressure to produce work like the rest of the studio or
was there more creative freedom than you expected?
PR: Starting out I was definitely given some of the smaller fun aspects of a
bigger project but also a decent amount of support work. As I learnt more
about the project I was given more and more responsibility and expecta-
tions to produce work in a faster more efficient way. I was very lucky to be
placed in a small team that worked on Vodafone and we had a large varie-
ty of projects to work on from Store Graphics to packaging to Art direction
of photoshoots so it was an amazing learning curve.
After his four years starting out at Fitch, Rees moved on to become Senior
director for Conran design group for a year, he then moved onto working
as a freelance designer working for Imagination, Identica design and The
Brand Union. Rees worked as a freelancer for these studios for a year
before joining Stag&Hare, a New York based studio as a design director
in 2012.
DR: How did you find your year going freelance in 2011? What was
the reason you decided to go freelance?
PR: After being at FITCH for 5 years I decided it was time for a change
and see how other agencies worked, so I moved to Conran Design Group
however I did not really enjoy that position and decided to go freelance
which was a very rewarding process. I found that freelancing exposed me
to a great way of working where you’re very focused on one task at a time
but you quickly get involved in the day to day of the project after being in
one place for a few weeks.
DR: How did you initially get in contact and start working with the
various design practices during your year freelancing? (Identica, Im-
agination etc.)
PR: I made some really great connections working with ex FITCH team
ways managed to get me work when my own contacts didn’t work out.
The key to making these contacts is having a really flexible portfolio ready
that you can switch out what agencies are looking for depending on their
skillset. Maintaining your reputation is also a very important part of free-
lancing, working hard and producing well thought work will ensure the
bookings keep coming in.
DR: Looking back at the work you did during your freelancing year,
or even the start of your career, is there any similarities which still
hold in your design work?
PR: For sure, I have always been experimental and try to push some more
extreme ideas and I still have this in my work today. What I’ve learnt to do
is show a range of ideas that go from close in to further out so I get to still
experiment but allow for a safer option which most clients veer towards.
DR: During your time as design director at Stag&Hare how did you
find the transition of working as freelance to overseeing the work of
a whole team of designers?
PR: I was very lucky in most of my positions that I lead a lot of projects
alone so giving direction was an easy transition. While at FITCH I was
usually given the Interns or Juniors to take care of so I learnt a lot from that
and how to clearly provide feedback and learn how to develop people’s
skills and confidence
After Stag&Hare, in December 2016, Rees went back to Fitch design as
a design director in their New York studio, where he currently still works.
DR: How does your work differ working at different design practic-
es? Do you have to work in a different mindset when designing for
different areas? (e.g. designing around retail for fitch and designing
PR: the fundamentals are always the same but there’s definitely a different
mindset depending on what your designing. It’s all about the user expe-
rience, so if it’s a store it’s all about how you connect the dots from one
part of the store to the next to create a customer journey where as a brand
identity becomes all about the details and very systematic so it allows for
flexibility within a defined look and feel. The key fundamentals are always
about maintaining smart strategy so the brief is being answered.
DR: With your 10+ years in the design industry what is one important
piece of advice you would’ve told yourself when starting your career
coming out of university?
PR: Push yourself outside your comfort zone, be brave and make bold
moves but more importantly work hard and no matter what the task your
given learn from it. I still learn something new every day, it’s one of the
most enjoyable part of being designer is always evolving and learning.
Case Study: Phill Rees, Design director at FITCH
I admire Phill Rees’ ability to transition to all areas of design. Although
his main ability lies within 2D design he is able to work in a many fields of
design. This is almost a requirement of todays designers in the industry, to
be flexible and to take on projects that may be outside your comfort zone.
Rees is able to apply his knowledge in 2D design in retail, one example of
this is his work for Vodafone at FITCH.
Rees applied his skills in 2D design for a commercial retail environment.
He was commissioned by FITCH to design the store graphics for many
Vodafone stores globally. For this project Rees took into account the ex-
isting values and general aesthetic for Vodafone and communicated it in a
2D visual way that was not only apparent in the retail space itself but other
material also. Rees designed the store imagery, layout of type and colour
within the space, as well as the product labelling and advertising. Whilst
this is a more commercial piece of work, which as a result means more de-
sign restrictions from the company I really admire Rees’ capability of being
able to design a visual language for the Vodafone brand that coincided
with the existing branding and is flexible across all material.
Another piece of Rees’ for FITCH was to produce a global brand roll-
out for the sports car brand McLaren. McLaren as a brand has always
been obsessive about the car and the precise design and engineering
that goes into making the car. Phill Rees helped FITCH deliver a full brand
positioning, all brand identity elements, extensive brand communications
and dealership environments. Rees work for the brands visual language
is extensive and engaging, it keeps to the brands ethos of orientating
everything about the company around their focus of the car. The 2D de-
sign elements Rees produced tell the story of McLaren’s innovation and
desire of engineering in an exciting way that exemplifies the brands ethos
in a visual way. The 2D visuals bring in the existing identifiers of the brand
such as the orange and black colour scheme whilst Rees adds the dra-
matic effect of speed through the simple yet electrifying graphics used
throughout the retail space and the modern typography which hints at the
brands desire for innovation.
Rees was also commissioned by FITCH Mumbai to tackle the print and
digital design for a brand named Eské. Eské is a premium and exclusive
brand of women’s handbags, footwear & accessories. As brand with glob-
al ambitions, Eské needed a new identity and as a brand born of a strong
product innovation, craftsmanship and international fashion expertise their
identity needed to reflect this. Rees began by designing a strong, pro-
fessional and sleek identity which presented the brand as premium and
exclusive. He used a simple serif typeface and slimmed it down to give a
more minimal and delicate appearance that would appeal to its target au-
dience of middle aged women. Rees then worked on the print and digital
aspects of the brand. Both the print and digital language of the brand re-
flected the sleek and minimal design of the identity. The website featured
bold imagery of middle aged women with a main focus on the high-quality
product. The typeface used was a subtle yet bold serif font and was used
throughout the brand. Rees did not only think about making a professional
identity for Eské, but something in which key elements could be carried
throughout to reflect the brand and make it more recognisable.
As stated above Rees worked freelance for a year, during this time he took
on many projects, one of these projects was for a brand named Kung Fu
Tea. With over a decade of experience Kung Fu Tea is the unchallenged
experts in the bubble tea business. The problem to solve for this project
was to grow the brand through its design without losing its heart and soul.
Rees took a very youthful and modern approach when designing for this
brand whilst being able to keep the key component of their identity, that
they are a brand that innovated the bubble tea business in America and
used traditional Taiwanese methods to keep the tea as authentic as possi-
ble. This is a piece of design by Rees I really admire. The colourful design
of the brand is both fresh and contemporary, the design as a result ap-
pears more towards the audience the brand wanted to target of 12-25 year
olds. Rees also kept the culture of the brand present in the design. Tai-
wanese text is used along side the logo as well as many traditional icons
throughout the branding that signify Taiwanese culture such as dragons
and artwork that imitates traditional art of the country.
Whilst Rees’ design work is more a commercial route than the path of de-
sign I would like to take, I admire his ability to be flexible across all areas
of design. Rees has worked with a vast range of the biggest brands and
on a variety of different projects, from retail experience to branding and
packaging design. From this case study on Phill Rees it has taught me to
keep branching out in terms of design and to not just stick to one area. It
is important to evolve as a designer and find which area is most suitable
for you. Through many years in creative labour Rees found that his ability
in 2D design is most vital in the context of retail graphics and branding. My
mission to keep delving into different areas of design to find which is most
meaningful to me.
References (Case Study) Sourced Material (Brief 2a)
Below I have cited all the references used throughout my Although I would’ve liked to have sourced all the material myself for this project I did
case study on Phill Rees of FITCH design: not find the time or have the equipment to take the photographs of the people falling in
the final poster. I found the images online which were all available for non-commercial
Behance.net. (2017).  Behance. [online] Available at: https:// reuse. I have listed each of these below:
www.behance.net/gallery/32898439/Esk-Leather-Goods [Ac-
cessed 22 Oct. 2017].
https://i.pinimg.com/736x
/65/70/82/657082061bf87d157b4e-
Cargocollective.com. (2017). Phill Rees Designer & Illustrator.
6127d70906e4--photo-dream-trampo-
[online] Available at: http://cargocollective.com/phillrees [Ac-
line.jpg
cessed 22 Oct. 2017].

Design Week. (2017). Fitch creates interiors for McLaren Au-

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/
tomotive - Design Week. [online] Available at: https://www.
commons/thumb/1/1d/Erik_Bjerkesjo.
designweek.co.uk/issues/august-2010-online/fitch-creates-in-
jpg/1024px-Erik_Bjerkesjo.jpg
teriors-for-mclaren-automotive/ [Accessed 22 Oct. 2017].

Fitch.com. (2017).  FITCH. [online] Available at: http://www.

fitch.com/ [Accessed 22 Oct. 2017].
http://consciouspanda.com/wp-content/
JOCELYN SUN. (2017). Brand Identity Design | Kung Fu Tea. uploads/2016/09/xblack-and-white-per-
[online] Available at: http://maladesignllc.com/brandingdesign/ son-woman-girl-360x240.jpg.pagespeed.
[Accessed 22 Oct. 2017]. ic.Ud45iVvnS5.jpg

Kung Fu Tea | Fresh. Innovative. Fearless leading tea drink

brand. (2017). Our Kung Fu Story. [online] Available at: https:// https://topdoc.hk/media/blog_imgs/sad-
www.kungfutea.com/about-kftea/ [Accessed 22 Oct. 2017]. ness-513527_1920_1.jpg

Phillrees.myportfolio.com. (2017).  Vodafone. [online] Availa-

ble at: https://phillrees.myportfolio.com/vodafone [Accessed
22 Oct. 2017].
https://c.pxhere.com/photos/d5/17/
women_levitation_in_the_air_falling_
down_flight_photography_model_fash-
ion-1167064.jpg!d
Posters without Images